National Coffee Council highlights sustainability in dialogue with Europe

The National Coffee Council (CNC) has made significant efforts to strengthen relations with embassies, especially with the European Union delegation. These contacts have sparked a growing interest among Europeans in learning more about coffee production in Brazil, understanding both the lives of producers and environmental preservation in coffee growing regions.

The curiosity to observe coffee growing within the Amazon biome culminated in the recent visit of the European Union ambassador to Brazil, Marian Schuegraf, to the state of Rondônia. Interest intensified due to concern about deforestation in the Amazon, which is the reason why coffee was included among the six products that, according to new European legislation (EUDR), are considered responsible for deforestation.

The ambassador's visit also aimed to verify in situ how the exploitation of coffee cultivated areas occurs by indigenous people and immigrants, especially from Espírito Santo, a state that has a large concentration of Espírito Santo producers in coffee production in Rondônia.

The delegation saw up close that in Brazil, concern for environmental preservation is of great importance. There is no deforestation in coffee growing areas, and the quality of life of producers is ensured by a decent income.

This commitment to sustainability is reinforced by the organization of the main producing states, through cooperatives, such as Caferon (Cafeicultores Associados da Região Matas de Rondônia) which led the ambassador's visit to the region.

In Rondônia, for example, specialized consultants were hired to organize production within sustainable principles. Among the various professionals involved, the work of AG Lima Consultoria and the Consórcio Pesquisa Café (Embrapa) stands out, as well as other highly qualified third parties, who have exerted a strong influence on the research and adaptation of appropriate cultivars for the region, resulting in high productivity.

As the international issue is one of the focal points of the actions of the Organization of Brazilian Cooperatives (OCB) and the CNC – as its operational arm – the Council will be in London from 08 to 13/09 to participate with Rebraslon (Permanent Representation of Brazil at to International Organizations in London), supported by Ambassador José Augusto Silveira de Andrade on the following topics:

Participation in the 138th International Coffee Council (ICC) of the International Coffee Organization (ICO) and parallel meetings: Brazilian delegation will have an active participation in the meeting, which will feature an extensive agenda such as the G7 and the meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and other exporting and consuming countries.

Participation in a meeting focused on the application of the International Coffee Agreement (AIC) 2022: finally, of all matters that concern showing how Brazil works sustainably in coffee production, including the application of the European Regulation (EUDR).

At these meetings, matters will be discussed that aim to demonstrate how Brazil has been committed to sustainable coffee production, in addition to the application of European regulations. Often, the lack of knowledge about the reality of the coffee sector leads to the penalization of all producers worldwide, forgetting countries like Brazil, which have strict environmental legislation, such as the Forest Code and the CAR (Environmental Registry). Rural), and also complete labor legislation.

Carrying out this visit aroused the interest of the other European ambassadors in Brazil to get to know other producing states, on trips that will soon be carried out to different regions, through itineraries that are being discussed between the CNC and the MRE.